Charging device for firearms



Sept. l, I1931.. E. Hou-:K 1,821,385

CHARGING DEVICE FOR FIREARHb Filed June 18, 1929- 4 Sheets-Sheet 1v INVENTOR Buy ank ATTORNEY Sept. 1, 1931. E'. HoLEK CHARGING BB1/ICE FOR FIREARMS.

Filed June 18, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 f Il 6 i I Emcmvel Honk INVENTOR l Sept. l, 19-31.

. CHARGING DEVICE FOR FIREARMS Filed June 1s, 192s 4 sheets-shed 4 EmcnUe HOI 0K INVENTOR ATTORNEY.

ATES

ECE

' UEL ROLEX, 0F BRUNE, CZECHOSLOVAKIA, ASSIGNOB TQ THE FIRM CESKOSLO- f l: JOVKA lAKCIOVA SPOLECNOST V BENE, OF- BRUNN, CZECHOSLOVAKIA GING DEVICE FOB FIBEARHS Application led June 18, 1929, Serial No. 371,788, and in Gzechoslovakia May 14, 1929.

This invention relates to gas-pressure operated charging devices for automatic rearms and has for its object primarily to provide a charging device of this kind which is of relatively small weight and therefore especially Well adapted for portable flrearms, such as for instancel automatically operated small-arms, rifles and the like. A special feature of thegas-pressure operated charging device according to my present 1nvention consists in the fact that thelpistonrod in the cylinder of the gas-pressure operated chargin device is constructed at its rear end in suc a manner that it will form a carrier for the breech and constitute at the same time a closing organ for the aperture which serves for ejccting the empty cartridge cases and for supplying the charged cartridges to said fire-arm. Preferably the 2o breech-carrier which is made integral with the gas-pressure piston and the piston-rod associated therewith is constructed in the form of an angular member enclosing the breech as Well as the parts mounted thereon, such as the cartridge extracting device, the control organs for the breech and the like.

In addition to this, according to my invention, the breech-carrier is constructed to properly fit the breech-casing so as to safely close-up the most important members of the fire-arm.

ln the accompanying drawings I have shown an embodiment of my invention in the form of an automatic fire-arm which is equipped with a gas-pressure operated charging'device constructed according to my invention. Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section showing the central part of an automatic ire-arm constructed in accordance with my invention, Figs. 2 and 2a are longitudinal views, partly in section, showing especially the mode ofvoperation of the breech-carrier and the breech during tensioning the latter in two characteristic positions thereof, Fig. 3 a side elevational view of the central part of the fire-arm, Fig. 4 is a top plan view on Fig. 3, Fig. 5 is a detail View showing the breech-carrier, and Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the breech, said view being taken in the 50 direction of the arrow S (Fig. 7). Figs. 7,

8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 are enlar ed sections along the lines VII-VII, III-VIII, IX-IX, X-X, Xi-XI and XII-XII,

respectively, of Fig. 3, and Figs. 13 and 14 are detail views of the cartridge-ejector. Figs. 15, 16, 17 and 18 illustrate the mode of co-operation of the breech-carrier with the cover and the actuating spring in four special positions, Fig. 19 is an elevational view of the cover, and Fig. 20 is a side eleva-A 60 tional view on the latter, as seen from the left-hand side. Figures 1a and 1" are detail views of the locking plate.

Referring to the drawings, l` denotes a barrel fixed within an extension of a breechcasing 3 by means of a thread'2. The lockcasiilg is indicated at 5. The breech-casing 3 is pivotally connected with the lock-casing 5 by means of a bolt 7, in such a manner 'that the breech-casing together with the bar- 70 rel and associated parts which are mounted Within the breech-casing and the lock ca sing 5 together with the stock 6 may be swung relatively to each other around said bolt 7 after releasing a locking bolt 8.

Referring to Fig. 10 it will be seen that the lock-casing 5 and the breech-casing 3 are of such a construction that the entire casing formed thereby is divided in diagonal direction D-D. 1n other words, the lock- 8@ casing 5 and the breech-casing 3 are each of angular cross-section supplementing each other after being put together to form a casing closed all around. rBy so constructing the breech-casing and the lock-casing in ac- 85 cordance with my invention, l obtain an advantage which provides that after releasing the locking bolt 8 and swinging said two casings 3 and 5 around thebolt 7 the parts arranged in the interior of said casings will 9( be rendered readily accessible.

The piston-rod 10 which leads from the gas-piston (not shown in detail in the drawings) towards the rear is constructed at its rear end to form a carrier 11 for the 9i breech 14. This .rear part 11 of the pistonrod 10 is of angular cross-sectional conformation as shown in Figs. 7-9, one wall of the angle being designated 12and the other 13. The breech-carrier, as Fig. 4 shows, 14

'further forms a closure for the ejecting and charging apertures 16 and 17 of the breech casing 3. rlhe breech 14 more particularly, is so arranged within the breech-carrier that it will be enclosed on both sides by means of the aforementioned walls 12 and 13 of which the rear part 11 ofthe piston-rod is composed. The breech14, ther fore, will be positioned within the angular space formed by the walls 12 and 13 of the rear part of the piston-rod and in this manner will be most eectively protected towards the outside. The breech-carrier 11 is .slidably mounted Tdisplaceably in grooves 18 in the casing 3 by means of guide-ledges 19 forming an integral part of the breech-carrier 11,' as shown in Fig. 7. The breech-carrier 1l is further equipped with the usual handle or knob 22 which serves for tensioning the breech by hand. ln order to permit saidl knob 22 to be fully retracted, the lock-casing is provided with a recess 25, a cover 26 being positioned within the range of action of said recess 25 to clos the opening in which knob 22 moves. v Normally, the cover 26 will close up the recess 25 and motion of said cover is controlled by the breech-carrier 11 and by an actuating spring 28. Said coverwhichlis of a conformation as indicated in Fig. 19 is provided with a guideledge 30 and a guide-groove 31 and is displaceably mounted by means of-said guideledge and guide-groove on the interior surface of the lateral wall of the lock-casing 5. A further guide-groove 32 is rovided for this purpose for said guide-le ge 30 and a further guide-ledge 33 for said guide-groove 3l, both on the interior surface of the lockcasing 5. On either of its ends the cover 26 carries stops 35 and 36 which co-operate with further stops 37 and 38 on the interior surface of the lock-casing 5,v the stop 36 being constructed essentially stronger than the other stop 35 as hereinafter described.

The breech-carrier, 11 as well as the cover 26 co-operate with the actuating spring 28 and more particularly through the intermediary of a special member 40 which serves as a support for the one end of said actuating spring 28. This intermediate member 40 is of the form of a bolt or piston, displaceably guided within a cylindrical guide 39 on the breech-casing 5 and equipped with a nose 41 co-operating with a nose or stop 42 on the -cover 26. The breech-carrier 11 is likewise provided with a nose 43' with which the front end 44 of the spring-actuated bolt may come in contact.

rlhe breech 14 swings' in a horizontal plane below the horizontally positioned wall 12 of the breech-carrier. At the front side of the breech 14 there is a recess 45 adapted to receivethe bottom of the cartridge within the barrel. The priming bolt 46 is actuated by a spring 47, The breech is equipped with a nose 50 which engages with a recess 51 in the breech-carrier, said recess consisting of a slot passing through the wall -13,`as may be seen from Fig. 5. The slot 51 is coveredup towards the outside by a cover plate 53 which consists of a leafspring which at its ends engages with notches 54 in the carrier l1 thus being kept in closed position. The noseA 50 is provided with an oblique control-surface 56 which (zo-operates with a similar oblique surface 57 of the slot 51 in the breech-carrier'. The oblique surfaces 56 and 57 serve to move the breech 14 during motion of the breechcarrier in thedirection of the arrow p towards the latter to unlock the breech 14. In order to lock the breech, the latter is provided with a locking rsurface 60 positioned opposite to the nose 50, said locking surface 60 co-operating with a further rigid-locking surface 61. This rigid locking surface 61 is formed on a plate 62 which is xedvby means of a screw 63 upon the interior side of the breech-casing 3. The plate 62 is equipped Witha boss 65 which carries the cartridge ejector 66. The breech is further provided with a groove 67 permitting passage of the cartridge-ejector 66 therethrough, said groove 67 extending through the recess 45 which serves for the reception of the cartridge at the bottom thereof.

The cartridge-extractor which is provided at the breech consists of a pawl 71 which is slidably mounted within its guides 70 in a direction towards and away from the longi-4 tudinal axis of the breech, said pawl 71 being normally kept in extracting position by action of a spring 72. The cartridge-extractor is further mounted within recesses 73 and 74 of the breech 40 in such agway that no part of said cartridge-extractor will project beyond the surrounding surfaces of the breech. In thepresent case the cartridge extractor is arranged within that part of the breech which is covered up by the walls 12 and 13 of thebreech-carrier. Due to the aforedescribed counter-sunk arrangement of the cartridge-extractor it will be possible to so arrange the breech 14 within the corner formed by the Walls 12 or 14 of the breech-carrier as shown in Fig. 8 so that the upper wall 12 forms a guide for the breech, Without, however, in any way interfering with the function of the cartridgeextractor. The actuating spring 72 for the pawl 71 consists of a leaf-spring which carries a pin 76 positioned within a properly formed cylindrical recess in the breech 14, the spring 72 being mounted so as to be able to rotate in the direction of the arrow w.' The one end 72 of the spring 72 is anchored within the slot 77 in the breech, while the freely resilient end 72 of said sprinnr 72 extends into a groove 78 on the body ofD the pawl 71. The aforedescribed mode of anchoring the spring 72v permits easy mounting and dismounting of the .cartridge-extractor without the use of any kind of tool.

The 4gas-pressure operated charging device accordlng to my invention is furthermore provided with a safety-device which warrants actuation of the primin bolt 46 by the hammer 8O only in a definite relativev not fullyin its front position, before the hammer acts upon the priming bolt 46.

In locked position of the breech the several parts of the gas-pressure operated charging device will assume a posltion as shown in Fig. 2. The breech 14 is in a position swung away from the breech-carrier 11 .and locked in this position by means of the locking surfaces 60 and 61. The breech will be safely kept locked due to contact of the surface with the surface 86. lf now the knob 22 -is moved by hand in the direction shown by the arrow in Fig. 2, simultaneously therewith the breech-carrier will be moved in this direction. After the nose 43 has engaged with the bolt 40, the latter likewise moves towards the rear, thus tensioning the the spring 28. In this condition displacement of the cover 26 in rearward direction will be impossible and the cover will remain in position to close up the recess 25, until the knob 22 abuts against the cover 26, as shown in Fig. 16. Upon further backward motion of the breech-carrier l1 the two locking surfaces 85 and 86 are ldisengaged from each other and the oblique vcontrol surface 57 on the breech-carrier now abuts against the oblique control surface 56 on the breech 14,' thus causing swinging of the breech 14 in direction towards the breech-carrier 11 asl shown in Fig. 2a. On account of this swinging motion of'the breech the two locking surf-:aces 60 and 61 will be disengaged from eachother as shown in Fig. 2a. Now the breach 14 may be carried with the breech-carrier 11 and slide towards the rear without any obstruction. lf the knob 22 abuts against the cover 26, the latter is thrown back until the stop 36 on said cover abuts against the fixed stop 38 as shown in Fig. 17 In this position the breech-carrier together with the breech i's in fully retracted lposition and the actuating spring 26 is fully tensioned. Durin the aforementioned retracting motion o the breech-carrier as far aaaasse as to that position in which the stops 36 If now the knob 22 is released, the breech-'l carrier 11 under the action of the tensioned actuatin spring 28 moves towards the front in the dlrection of the .arrow g. The cover I5 26 at present remains in retracted position.

Upon further motion of' the breech-carrier 11 in the direction of the arrow q the pin 41, as shown in Fig. 18, abuts againstthe nose 42 of' the cover 26 and from this moment 0n the cover 26 will be positively moved by action of the tensioned spring 28 from the position shown in Fig. 18 into its initial position shown in Fig. 15. l

It will be apparent that the recess 25 in the locking-case 5 due to the aforedescribed mode of operation is at first covered up by the cover 26 and subsequent thereto bythe wall 13 of the breech-.carrier 11 and Inally said recess is again covered up by said cover 26. During forward motion of the breechcarrier 11 the uppermost cartridge contained in the magazine 19 will be gripped by the breech and inserted into the barrel 1. If the breech 14 and the breech-carrier 11 have nally come into the position shown in Fig.

2a, the two oblique surfaces 87 and 88 upon further motion of the breech-carrier 11 in the direction will eect swinging of the breech '14 whlch will yet commence to besupported at the rearward end of the barrel, said swinging taking place in the direction aw'ay from the breech-carrier 11 until the breech 14 has come into locking condifiring. After firing, the gases which act in well-known manner upon the piston of the charging device will cause the breechcarrier to be thrown back in the direction of the arrow g and now the above-described operation of the several parts of the gaspressure' operated charging; device will repeat itself. The cartridge-extractor 71 extracts the empty cartridges and the cartridge-ejector 66 now .abuts against the bottom of a .cartridge which will then be ejected through the aperture 16 which has been opened by the breech-carrier. Motion of the breech-carrier l1 while beingthrown back is limited by the stops 36 and 38 shown in Fig. 17. Since in the/present case relatively large live forces have to be counteracted, these forces being due to the relatively large masses of the breech-carrier and the breech being thrown backward, the stop 36 of the cover 26 is 'made essentially of greater strength than the stop 35as above indicated.

By providing a breech Which swings in y an horizontal plane and by constructing the 'breech-carrier l1 in the aforedescribed manner to serve as an organ covering up the rejecting and charging aperturey 16, it willr bey rendered possible'to provide a recessr for the thumb atfthe ybreech-casil1g3 permitting convenient `charging -of the fire-arm with cartridges from a feed-strip or the like.

The aforedescribe'adY gas-pressure operated l charging device' which f' forms ypart of my small number of partsand in that thebreechy will be well closed and in unlocked posi-y tion safely protected against intrusion ofr foreign matter. Also my present charging "device is distinguished' by great reliabllity f tremely rugged construction so'y that it may of operation. A furtheradvantagc ofpresent gas-pressure operated charging device consists ofthe smally weight and th'e-exespecially be'used with light portable firearms." l' f ff The gas-pressure operated charging device forming 'part of my present invention as described herein and 'shown inthe drawf ings represents only an example of a construction according to my invention. Various changes may be made on the constructions herein described without departing from the principles of my invention or sacri- {icing any advantages thereof.

I claim: t

1. In combination with the breech of a lire-arm, a gas-pressure operated charging device having a breech casing provided with an ejecting and charging aperturel and comprising a gas-cylinder, a piston and a pistonrod therefor, the trailing portion of said piston-rod being disposed to carry said breech Within the breech casing and havingl portions to move into postion to close the ejecting and charging aperture.

2. In a gas-pressure operated charging device for fire-arms as specified by claim 1, the provision of a breech-carrier composed of two Walls positioned at an angle with each other to receive the breech intermediate said Walls, one of said Walls being adapted to form a closure for the ejecting and charging aperture of the hre-arm.

3. A gas-pressure operated charging device as specified by claim 1, in which the breech-carrier isprovided with two walls arranged at an angle with respect to each other, said Walls being positioned Within the angle of said breech casing and forming a closure for the ejecting and charging opening for said casing, a guide for the breech, and control-organs for said breech, sald control-organs being rovided on oney of the walls of said breec f -carrier.y

4. A gas-pressure o erated char 'ng device as specifiedby c aim 1, in which the breech-carriery isy provided with two walls arranged at an angle with respect to yeach other, said walls'bemg positioned within the angle ofsad breech casin andr forming ya closure for the ejecting and chargin yopening for said casing, a guide for the reech,

control-organs for said breech, said 'conf f f trol-organs being provided on one of the walls of said breech-carrier, and a recessony f thev same Wally of Asaid breech-carrier, said recess yhaving roblique. controly surfaces, ay rtooth on said breech, said,y tooth havingy oblique surfacesy similar to said obliquecontrol surfaces on said yrecessfand adapted to f co-operat'e therewith.

5. A gasressure yoperated char 'ng de-A vice as specified by rclaim y1, iny

w ich ythe breech-carrier is provided with two `walls 'f arranged at an an le with respect yto each other, said Walls beingpositioned within the angleiof said breech casing and forming a closure for the ejecting and charging o for said casing, a guide for the breec con- 'trolorgans for said breech, said controlorgans being provided yon oney of the Wallsy of said breech-carrier, a recess on; kthe same wall of saidy breech-carrier, said recess havbreech, said tooth having oblique surfaces similar to said oblique control surfaces on said recess and adapted to co-operate therewith, said recess consisting of a slot passing through'one of the walls of the breech-carrler, and a cover for covering up said slot from the out-side.

6. A gas-pressure operated charging device as specified by claim 1, in which the breech-carrier is provided with two walls arranged at an angle with respect to each other, said Walls being positioned Within the angle of said breech casing and forming a closure for the ejecting and charging openi-ng for said casing, a guide for the breech, control-organs for said breech, said controlorgans being provided on one of the'walls of said breech-carrier, a recess on the same Wall of said breech-carrier, said recess havningy f ing obliquefcontrol surfaces, ay tooth on ysaid ing oblique control surfaces, a tooth on said carrier, and la cover in the form of a leafspring adapted to cover-up said slot, the ends of said leaf-spring engaging with a notch in said breech-carrier.

7. A gas-pressure operated charging de- I vice as specified by claim 1 in combination with a fire-arm having the breech mounted swingably in a horizontal plane upon the breech-carrier.

8. In a fire-arm, the combination of afgaspressure operated charging device as specified by claim l, with a breech, a lock-casing, a cut-away portion on said lock-casing, a knob for cooking the fire-arm, arranged within range of the ejecting aperture of the breech casing, and a movable cover adapted to close up said cut-away portion, said locking casing having a slot closed by said movable cover and within range of motion of said. knob.

u9. In a fire-arm, the combination of a gaspressure operated charging device, with a breech, a breech-carrier, a lock-casing, a knob for cooking said fire-arm arranged within range of the ejecting aperture of the breech casing, a cut-away portion on said lock-casing and a movable cover adapted to close up said cut-away portion, said movable cover consisting of a plate displaceably mounted in said lock-casing within the path of motion of said breech-carrier, said locking casing having a slot closed by said movable cover and Within the range of motion of said knob.

10. In a fire-arm the combination of a gaspressure operated charging device, With a breech, a breech-carrier, an actuating spring for said breech and breech-carrier, a lockcasing, a knob for cooking said fire-arm, a cut-away portion on said lock-casing, said cut-away portion being positioned within the range of' action of said knob, a movable cover adapted to close up saidcut-away portion, said movable cover consisting of a plate displaceably mounted in said lock-casing within the path of motion of' said breech-carrier. and control-means for controlling motion of said cover to close up said cut-away` portion during the last phase of cooking motion due to said knob, said control-means beingoperatively connected with said breech-carrier and further adapted to control motion of said cover to open said cut-away portion by the aid of said actuating spring.

11. A fire-arm as specified by claim 10` having stops fixed on the fire-arm, said stops being co-operative with further stops on the movable cover for limiting motion of the latter.

12. A fire-arm as specified bv claim 10, having stops fixed relatively to the fire-arm, said stops adapted toco-operate with stops on the movable cover to limit motion of the latter, said former stops being mounted upon the lock-casing.

13. A fire-arm as specified by claim 9,-having the breech-carrier and the movable cover connected with an actuating spring by means of a displaceably mounted intermediate member, said intermediate member consisting of a bolt guided within guide-means, and stops adapted to connect said bolt wlth 14. A fire-arm as specified by claim 9, having the breech-carrier and the movable cover connected with an actuating spring by means'of a displace'ably mounted intermediate member, said intermediate member consisting of a bolt guided Within guidemeans, and stops adapted to vconnect said bolt With the breech-carrier and the movable cover, said breech-'carrier and said cover being equipped with noses adapted to engage with said bolt in the path of motion thereof, said bolt being 'co-operative with said actuating spring.

15. In a fire-arm, the combination of a gas-pressure operated charging device as specified by claim l, with a breech, a lockycasing, a cut-away portion on said lock-casing, a knob for cooking the fire-arm, said cut-away portion being positioned within the range of action of said knob, a movable cover adapted to close up said cut-away portion, and locking means having a xed said locking means together with said cartridge-ejector being exchangeably mounted upon said gas-pressure operated charging device.

16. n a re-arm, the combination of a gas-pressure operated charging device as specified by claim 1, with a breech, a lockcasing, a cut-away portion on said lockcasing, a knob for cooking the fire-arm, said cut-away portion being positioned within the range of action of said knob, a movable cover adapted to close up said Aeut-away portion, locking means having a fixed member integral with a cartridge-ejector, said lock-l ing means together with said cartridge-ejector being exchangeably mounted upon said gas-pressure operated charging device, and a body provided with an oblique locking surhammer, a priming bolt associated therewith, the breech-carrier composed of two walls rectangular or essentially rectangular to each other, one of said walls being provided with a stop adapted to co-operate with a further stop on said hammer so as to lock said hammerk in improper relative position of said breech-carrier and said breech, to prevent actuation of said priming bolt by said hammer. f A18. A fire-arm as specified by claim 1, having a lock-casing and a casin for the breech, the latter being divided dlagonally.

19. A re-arm as specified by claim 1, havil@ Y ing an angular lock-casing and an angular casin for the breech, fthe latter being dvide diagonally. Y l

20. A gas pressure operated chargingnnllevice as claimed in claim 1, including a, o arranged on said lbreech carrier and disposed within ran e of the eecting aperture In testimony w ereof I a vmy si nature.

` EMANUEL HO EK. 10 

